Traditionally, vehicles lacked many of the enhanced safety and monitoring features that are now common in smart vehicles. More recently, many vehicles are now equipped with advanced safety monitoring systems, such as lane-departure monitoring and/or blind-spot detection systems. These systems are able monitor conditions exterior to the vehicle and provide simple warnings to the driver. In some systems, the vehicle is even able to automatically brake in order to lessen the impact of a collision. While these responses enhance vehicle safety, they may not be sufficient to reduce risks associated with impaired driving.
For instance, an impaired driver may be unable to respond and/or unaware of the warnings generated by current safety systems. In these scenarios, despite the warnings provided by the vehicle, the impaired driver may continue their unsafe operation of the vehicle. Even in systems with automatic braking, the vehicle may be moving too quickly to bring the vehicle to a safe stop.
In parallel to the development of advanced safety systems, there have been developments into autonomous vehicles. These vehicles are able to safely drive on commercial streets without human intervention. Accordingly, the present embodiments may, inter alia, detect and alleviate the risks associated with impaired driving.